Over the past few weeks the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been working tirelessly to remove hundreds of pictures, messages, and other materials from Facebook in order to enhance Israel’s security and privacy. It has been reported that some Israeli solders posted pictures of advanced weapons training, interiors and exteriors of bases – including the equipment inside them – and troop exercises and locations.

The Jerusalem Postreported this week that an Israeli solder was sentenced to 19 days in prison for uploading a certain picture on their Facebook profile:

The IDF would not comment on the exact nature of the photograph, but said the punishment was in proportion to the committed offense.

Sources said the soldier in question would be punished for taking pictures on a military base without permission. The incident marks the first time that a soldier has been tried and sentenced for this kind of offense.

The BBC added that the soldier was serving with an elite intelligence unit of the IDF.

This incident provides a stern warning for other soldiers who are thinking about posting photos – not just in Israel, but around the world. As internet features like Facebook and Google Earth evolve privacy is becoming more and more important – not just for the military, but everyone.

In fact, earlier this month a couple in Western Pennsylvania sued Google because they said images of their home (see below) available through ‘Google Street View’ violated their privacy and devalued their property.